Happy November! Wow, I can't believe it's November already. How did that happen? 

I started October with no plans to read a bookish book, but I somehow ended up reading four of them. All of them were enjoyable overall, although I can't say I really loved any of them. Here's what I read:

The Matzah Ball by Jean Meltzer—This contemporary romance is about a Jewish novelist with a secret passion for the most Christian of holidays. Very few people know that she is the bestselling author of a bunch of popular Christmas romances. When her editor suggests she write a Hanukah story instead, she finds herself desperately trying to embrace a holiday that seems dull and magic-less. When she's thrust into a holiday partnership with a man who once broke her heart, her life becomes even more complicated.

The Little Bookstore of Big Stone Gap by Wendy Welch—Have you ever dreamed of opening a bookstore? Then, you need to read this memoir about a married couple who decide on a whim to buy a dilapidated historic home in an economically-advantaged area and turn it into a used bookstore. The book details how they stumbled their way into success against all odds.

The Audacity of Sara Grayson by Joani Elliott—Sara Grayson is a writing teacher who pens greeting cards in her spare time. She hasn't delved into fiction since a famous editor ridiculed a draft of what was supposed to be her debut novel. So, when her mother—a bestselling mystery author—dies without completing the last book in her most popular series and leaves a request for it to be written by Sara, Sara is stunned. Now is her chance to make her fondest dream come true. Is she up to the task?

The Mystery of Mrs. Christie by Marie Benedict—This historical mystery is based on the real 11-day disappearance of iconic mystery writer Agatha Christie in 1926. No one knows why exactly she vanished, but Benedict's imagining of the events seem plausible. 

Have you read any of these bookish books? What did you think of them? Are you planning to read any bookish books in November? My reading for the rest of the year will be focused on books I need to finish in order to complete my reading challenges as well as the ones I need to read for the Cybils Awards. None of them are bookish as far as I know. The November selection for my book club is a bookish one, though:

Once Upon a Wardrobe by Patti Callahan—I've been meaning to read this historical novel ever since it came out. It's about a 17-year-old girl whose beloved younger brother is obsessed with C.S. Lewis' Chronicle of Narnia series. Bedridden because of illness, the child fixates on Narnia, so much so that his sister decides to seek out Lewis and ask him all of her brother's insistent questions about the books he loves. What ensues changes her strict, logical view on life.

I haven't started Once Upon a Wardrobe yet, but I'm looking forward to finally reading it. It seems like a magical holiday read. We'll see. 

How is it September already? Wow, this year just continues to fly by! August was a good month for me and bookish books. I read six (my Goodreads ratings are in parentheses):

What Happened to Rachel Riley by Claire Swinarski (5 stars)

The Fiction Writer by Jillian Cantor (3 stars)

Fat Chance, Charlie Vega by Crystal Maldonado (4 stars)

The Unbearable Book Club for Unsinkable Girls by Julie Schumacher (3 stars)

The Red Blazer Girls: The Ring of Rocamadour by Michael D. Beil (4 stars)

The Bones of the Story by Carol Goodman (4 stars)

Not too shabby, overall.

I'm not sure what bookish books I'm going to try to read in September. Since there are only four months left in the year, I'm working on completing all my reading challenges. I do still need a book set in Utah, so I'll probably read at least this one in the next few weeks:

It's the story of a Salt Lake City librarian who struggled to control the tics he experienced because of Tourette Syndrome. A strongman suggested weightlifting as a way to wrangle them. The practice has since become a practical, successful way to manage his symptoms. In this memoir, Josh Hanagarne tells his own story about Tourette's, books, and more. 

Which bookish books are you planning to read this month?

Happy July, everyone! It's the middle of the month somehow and I'm just now getting around to posting this monthly update. So sorry. Between traveling for the Fourth, having oral surgery, and trying not to melt in record breaking heat, I've been a little busy, I guess. 

I managed to read two bookish books in June:

I re-read The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson for book club. I loved it the first time I read it a few years ago and loved it again the second time. It was a hit with everyone in my book club, too. If you haven't read it, do. It's a lovely novel that emphasizes the power of reading, among other inmportant themes.

Although I was a rabid Little House on the Prairie fan as a kid, I didn't know much about the life of its author outside of the autobiographical elements in her books. Prairie Fires by Caroline Fraser talks all about Laura Ingalls Wilder's life as a woman, a pioneer, an author, and a mother. I found it very interesting. 

July is turning out to be a good month for me and bookish books. I started the month with this one:

Translated from Spanish, I Lived On Butterfly Hill by Marjorie Agosín is about a young girl living in Chile during a time of political upheaval. When her parents come under suspicion from the dictatorial government, they are forced into hiding and she is sent to live with an aunt in the U.S. Throughout the ordeal, the girl finds comfort in words and books. 

I'm reading this gem right now:

When a beloved but reclusive children's author who hasn't published in years suddenly announces a by-invitation-only competition that will reward one lucky winner with an unimaginably lucrative prize, Lucy Hart is stunned to find herself one of the competitors. The 26-year-old is desperate to adopt a vulnerable young boy who's floundering in foster care, but she doesn't have the money to provide the stable home he needs. Winning the author's contest could change both of their lives forever. What will she find when she sets foot on magical, mysterious Clock Island?

I'm loving everything about The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer, from the gorgeous cover to the warm, likable characters to the intriguing plot. It's engaging and fun so far.

The audiobook I'm listening to right now also has some bookish themes:

Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney is a thriller about an estranged family who gathers at their grandmother's isolated manor for her 80th birthday. Nana is a beloved children's author and illustrator who's made a tidy fortune that all of her descendants want a (large) piece of. When she dies suspiciously, each of the party attendees becomes a suspect. Who killed Nana and why? And who's next on the killer's hit list?

Happy June! How did your May go? Mine was busy and, once again, I did not read any bookish books during the month. I read a few that had books in them, but it wasn't a main theme so I'm not counting them. Just to reiterate, though, this is a laidback challenge and you choose what counts as a "bookish" book. If you think it counts for the challenge, it totally does! 

My book club chose The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson for our May read, but we didn't meet until tonight. I loved the novel when I read it back in 2020. My plan was to re-read it before book club, but I'm still only about 100 pages in. So, for May, I'll finish the re-read, then go on to its sequel, The Book Woman's Daughter. Those will happen this month for sure. 

Here are a couple other possibilities:

I'm a big Carol Goodman fan and her newest, The Bones of the Story, sounds like a compelling bookish thriller. It's a locked-room mystery about a group of people who took a creative writing class together in college 25 years ago. A terrible tragedy involving their professor marked their time together. When people start dying at a commemoration event, it becomes clear that the past is coming back to haunt the present.

Vero over at The Moon Phoenix has been raving about The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer and it does sound like a fun read. It's about a super popular children's writer who mysteriously stopped publishing years ago. Everyone is shocked when he announces not only that he has written a new book but also that he is hosting an exclusive competition in which the winner takes home the only copy of his coveted new story. The stakes are impossibly high for the four people chosen to compete. Who will emerge the victor?

What bookish books are you planning to read in June?

Happy May Day! I don't know how April went for you, but for me it was a busy month and it rushed by in a bit of a blur. My third child graduates from high school in a few weeks, which will make May busy as well. Also hot. We haven't hit 100 degrees yet, thank goodness; we've come close, though. Ugh. It's already way too warm to read by the pool. Ours doesn't have much shade so I'll be enjoying my books inside my air conditioned house, under a whirling fan, until further notice (probably around December). 

I did manage to read one bookish book in April. Book Lovers by Emily Henry has been getting all kinds of buzz ever since it came out. Contemporary romance really isn't my genre, but I wanted to see what all the hype was about. Book Lovers is a fun, enemies-to-lovers story with lots of playful banter, humorous scenes, and an entertaining plot (although it did seem overly long at times). I listened to the book on audio, with Julia Whelan narrating. She did a great job bringing the characters to life. Overall, it was an enjoyable listen. I just wish it would have been more of a closed-door, PG-13 kind of romance. 

I've yet to read the majority of the books I've listed in these monthly posts as potential reads for The Bookish Books Reading Challenge. Still, here are a few that have caught my eye recently that I could, potentially, get to this month. We'll see how it goes.

I mentioned these two in my recent book haul posts:

Shaun Bythell is the owner of the largest second-hand bookshop in Scotland and his books are supposed to be insightful and hilarious. I can't wait to dig in.

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson is my book club's pick for May. I've already read it, but it's been a few years, so I'm going to re-read it and then move on to The Book Woman's Daughter. I've heard the sequel is just as good as the first book, which is always reassuring.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I can score an e-ARC of Last Word to the Wise by Ann Claire. It's the second installment in a fun cozy mystery series set in a mystery-themed bookstore that is accessible only by (or, at least, most conveniently by) gondola. I enjoyed the first book in the series and am excited to see what happens in the second. Hopefully, the Edelweiss gods will grant my pending request...